Don McCafferty
| Position: | End |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth: | March 12, 1921 |
| Place of birth: | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Date of death: | July 28, 1974 (aged 53) |
| Place of death: | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cleveland (OH) Rhodes |
| College: | Ohio State |
| NFL Draft: | 1943 / Round: 13 / Pick: 116 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 28–17–2 (.617) |
| Postseason: | 4–1 (.800) |
| Career: | 32–18–2 (.635) |
| Player stats at PFR | |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Donald William McCafferty (March 12, 1921 – July 28, 1974) was an American football player and coach who, in his first year as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, led the team to a victory in Super Bowl V, and became the first rookie head coach to win the Super Bowl.
McCafferty played college football for Ohio State University under coach Paul Brown, where he was a key member of the offensive line. Due to World War II, he was one of a select group of players to play twice in the annual College All-Star Game held in Chicago.
After moving on to the National Football League (NFL), McCafferty was shifted to wide receiver, playing one season with the New York Giants.
After working in the Cleveland, Ohio recreation department the following year, he was hired as an assistant at Kent State University in 1948. He spent 11 seasons with the Golden Flashes until accepting an assistant coaching position with the Baltimore Colts. During that first season at the professional level, McCafferty was part of the Colts' second straight championship team.
When Colts' head coach Weeb Ewbank was fired after the conclusion of the 1962 NFL season, McCafferty remained with the team as offensive coordinator under new coach Don Shula. McCafferty's easy-going personality helped serve as a buffer against the demanding Shula's quest for perfection, a contrast that played a major part in the team's three NFL playoff appearances during the next seven years. Colts' Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas once said about McCafferty, "He doesn't shout and scream. He's able to look at football objectively without getting carried away emotionally." He was referred to in the press and by the Colts players as "Easy Rider".
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